1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a document filing, updating, and retrieval system and, more particularly, to a document storage and retrieval system where source documents are filed and then updated as part of an active record keeping system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The enormous numbers of documents which are generated in modern business activities, the large storage areas necessary for storage of such documents, the extent to which such documents are used, and the large number of individuals who commonly use the documents have created a monumental challenge for the field of document mangement. The traditional manual and semi-automatic methods of handling these large collections of documents have proven to be inefficient and costly. Typically, all documents are stored in their original state, requiring large storage areas therefor. Alternatively, it has been known to reduce stored documents using microfilm and this is a common solution to the problem.
A more recent solution that has been proposed for the record keeping problem is to use magnetic recording tape or other types of erasable storage medias to record, store, and reproduce electronic representations of source documents. A source documents is scanned using a conventional television-type camera and the resultant video signals are recorded at specified locations on a length of magnetic recording tape, which tape can be subsequently scanned for recalling the information. Examples of this latter type of system may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,352,968; 3,499,976; 3,514,537; 3,631,414; and 3,712,956. Examples of commercial systems are the Videofile information system of Ampex Corporation and the Trans-A-File automated filing and retrieval system of Trans-A-File Systems Company.
Still another major problem is the necessity for keeping documentation current and updated in an active file environment. Furthermore, while it is desirable to be able to keep documentation current and updated, it is also desirable not to lose the original or source document during updating. To make a commercially feasible system, the number of components must be minimized and the components themselves simplified to keep the total cost within realistic limits.
Heretofore, no available system solves all of the problems set forth above. In an image system, such as microfilm or pure video tape, a document must be refiled every time a change is made. This requires extra operations and is time-consuming and costly. In the case of film, it is necessary to reproduce the original document, make the changes, and then reprocess a new film. The multiple file documents which result present sorting difficulties and lead to an unwieldy record keeping system.
In a data processing system where documents are converted to computer information, changes can be made to a base document, but at the penalty of losing the information content of the document as it was originally filed. Also, the nature of the computer conversion process precludes any cost-effective storage of the entire document, but rather requires the reduction and storage of only the desired information contained on the document. This is an unacceptable approach in a variety of situations.
While some attempts have been made to electronically keep documentation current and updated in an active file environment (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,240 and the patents cited therein), such systems have typically used multiple medias, such as films and computers to achieve a form of document update. However, the use of multiple storage medias is an expensive and complex solution to the problem and the source document, which is still stored on film, cannot be actively updated.